Court issues mostly suspended terms in conscription‑evasion scheme
Harju District Court ruled Wednesday that Andrei Vesterinen, Janika Butkevitšus and Armylaw OÜ were guilty of fraud and submitting false information to the Defense Resources Agency (KRA). The court did not find evidence of document forgery or use of forged documents.
The court sentenced Vesterinen to two years and eight months in prison. One month and four days must be served immediately. The remaining two years, six months and 25 days will not be enforced if Vesterinen does not commit a new intentional crime during a three‑year probation period.
The court sentenced Janika Butkevitšus to two years and four months in prison. The sentence will not be enforced if she does not commit a new intentional crime during a three‑year probation period.
The court also found Armylaw OÜ guilty and imposed a fine of €12,000. The fine will not be enforced if Armylaw does not commit a new intentional crime during a one‑year probation period.
Vesterinen must pay €4,824.75 in procedural costs, Butkevitšus €3,519.89 and Armylaw €3,279.28. The defendants must also compensate victims' legal costs totaling €5,414.88. The court granted the civil claims filed by the victims.
According to the charges, Armylaw board member Vesterinen and employee Butkevitšus offered legal services on social media and the company's website in 2021–2022 that promised clients they could "legally" avoid conscription.
Prosecutors said clients were misled and instructed to submit false address information to the population register, forged and used falsified address notices, and changed contact details to prevent KRA from reaching them. They also provided false information about language skills in misdemeanor proceedings to delay cases.
The scheme caused financial losses totaling €16,224.99 to ten victims.
The court found that Vesterinen promised on Armylaw's website and in personal communication with clients that he offered a service allowing them to be released from military service obligations on a legal basis and in a legal manner. He also repeatedly used the slogan "100% guarantee" that clients would not have to enter military service. Based on this, various people — including victims and witnesses — turned to Armylaw for help, believing they were guaranteed a legal way to avoid conscription.
The court found that the instructions given by Vesterinen and Butkevitšus through Armylaw were not lawful. Their actions were aimed at violating norms set out in the Military Service Act and avoiding legally established military service obligations. Their instructions also met the elements of submitting false information to an administrative authority. Their legal guidance misled clients and created the need for further legal assistance.
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Editor: Mirjam Mäekivi, Argo Ideon
